My doctor wants me to eat way below my BMR.

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  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
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    you wont starve. alot of eating is habit. just train ur body to eat less. ur body will adapt and hunger will lessen. but training the mind is so hard
  • action_figure
    action_figure Posts: 511 Member
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    I started out at 347 lbs eating an MFP recommended 1720 kcals per day. I've lost 80 lbs since October 1. As my weight loss goes down, my calories allowed go down too, of course. I'm currently at 1450 per day with an activity level set at lightly active and I don't eat back exercise calories. (I do about an hour of strength training and an hour of cardio 6 days a week. This week my exercise log shows 689 minutes.) I don't think the recommendation of 1500 is unreasonable, but you can get a second opinion always.
  • TravelBunnyGirl
    TravelBunnyGirl Posts: 5
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    if you're not active, i would eat what your doctor tells you, drink lots of water and eat good things, 20 grapes are better than 20 raisins...eat food that's filling. congrats on the 20 pound loss....
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
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    You've lost 20 pounds eating at a deficit in 3 months. If you keep up at the rate you're going, you'll be below 300 by this time next year, and below 200 at this time the year after. So what's the rush? I'm sure your doc has good intentions, but it seems like you've got this.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
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    I am not a doctor, but would make the comment that a doctor may not know everything - especially if they are a General Practitioner. I would seek the advice perhaps of a qualified nutritionist / dietician?

    900 calories and eating "diet" foods - nah, I don't think so IMHO. :noway: Eat well, eat protein, vegies, some fruit, some carbs, reduce fast food/highly processed foods, eat to target, get some exercise daily - the weight will come off! Many people, incuding those in this thread, have lost weight just doing this. Check out all the success stories, especially Ed Davenport (my hero!)

    Just put in your stats to MFP, have a realistic weight loss goal - being bigger you could probably look at 2 lb a week?), and see how you go. If you have no other issues (diabetes, heart, stuff like that) and do some exercise, then you will lose weight. Because of your current weight, even gentle walking will burn calories because you are basicially weightlifting your own body.

    Well done on your decision, and your weight loss to date, that is great, :flowerforyou: I hope you get a second opinion, or at least discuss with doctor why they want this tiny intake?

    Edited for typos - haven't drunk my morning coffee yet! (Black no sugar!!)
  • fausto412
    fausto412 Posts: 100 Member
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    Sooo. I weigh 334 5'7 and I've lost about 20 pounds or so since January. My BMR is around 2200. I eat about 1800-2000 calories a day. I am not active at this time. My doctor told me that she wants to eat between 1200-1600 a day. While I'm sure I will lose faster (this is not my goal) I'm pretty sure I will starve. Any thoughts on this?

    Do the number MFP tells you and as long as you are seeing results stick to it. Every 10 lbs lost MFP will ask you if you want to update your program. If you say yes it will drop your calories a bit at a time, the closer you are to the ideal weight range the lower it will be. My wife's goal was 1280 to lose 1 lbs a week. If you doing on MFP it will be a gradual drop and not a massive one. Water, fruits and physical activity will keep you from starving.
  • tashac2000
    tashac2000 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I will get a second opinion and seek out the advice of a nutritionist. Changing eating habits take time and I still have a LONG way to go to get it right. My next step is to get my butt in gear and exercise!
  • ozigal
    ozigal Posts: 173 Member
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    Okay... I'll preface this by saying that I am a Project Manager in real life so hopefully my comments may make sense :)

    I do not see myself as being on a diet to lose weight at all. I see this as Project "Me" and Project Me is not about being on a diet. The primary goal of Project "Me" is to make long term lifestyle changes which have the consequence of creating a better and healthier me and not just for the duration that I intend to be on MFP. This project is about learning what is healthy to put in my body, what nutritional values are in food, being more active in my life.

    If I was just on a diet, then the word "diet" has short term connotations and makes me think of long term failure. Hence I dont see that as a long term solution for the way I have previously chosen to live my life.

    I spoke to a friend of mine that I havent seen for a while. She happens to be a Doctor. When I told her what I was doing she said something along the lines of "Why would you do that? Life isnt about how much you weigh or how you look. It's about being happy."

    Guess she would have been the first person I would have expected to be behind me 100% and I thought she would have put a high value on fitness... Apparently not! Surprised me but I guess every medical person has their own ideas. :)
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
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    My dr had me eating way down and I started gaining weight -- and FAST! I am now seeing someone who has DOUBLED my calorie goal and Tripled my exercise (well within "normal" ranges). We will see how that works...

    you can't eat under your bmr and gain weight. you have to consume more calories than you expend in order to gain weight, and since bmr is your base calorie expenditure without moving, it is impossible to gain weight eating under it.
  • whitecapwendy
    whitecapwendy Posts: 287 Member
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    Okay... I'll preface this by saying that I am a Project Manager in real life so hopefully my comments may make sense :)

    I do not see myself as being on a diet to lose weight at all. I see this as Project "Me" and Project Me is not about being on a diet. The primary goal of Project "Me" is to make long term lifestyle changes which have the consequence of creating a better and healthier me and not just for the duration that I intend to be on MFP. This project is about learning what is healthy to put in my body, what nutritional values are in food, being more active in my life.


    this! Don't think diet. Think new lifestyle
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
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    My dr had me eating way down and I started gaining weight -- and FAST! I am now seeing someone who has DOUBLED my calorie goal and Tripled my exercise (well within "normal" ranges). We will see how that works...

    you can't eat under your bmr and gain weight. you have to consume more calories than you expend in order to gain weight, and since bmr is your base calorie expenditure without moving, it is impossible to gain weight eating under it.

    Kinda nitpicking here, but it's possible to gain while eating below your BMR if you mess up your metabolism enough, I've done it before. Bodies don't like a lot of change though and everyone's is diffident.

    OP, I'd say see if you can see a nutritionist. General doctors don't specialize in nutrition. They have so much to know they can't be experts at that too. Until you can see one, I wouldn't worry too much about not eating enough (at least temporarily until you lose a bit more) though unless it's dangerously low amounts of food and you're not getting proper nutrition (vitamins and veggies and protein and such), BUT that is just my personal opinion.

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